Brake beam



Aug. 22, 1944.

R. e. AURIEN ET AL BRAKE BEAM Filed Jan. 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1944- R. G. AURIEN ETAL ,35 ,7

BRAKE BEAM Filed Jan. 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Gfiumen L W121i; B ezzL neg Patented Au 22, I944 BRAKE BEAM Bay G. Aurien, Chicago, 111., and Loren L. Whitney, Hammond, Ind., assignors to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey.

Application January 30, 1942, Serial No. 428,812

8 Claims.

.Our invention relates to brake beams and more particularly to a truss type brake beam in which tension and compression members are secured to each other at the ends thereof and are connected intermediate said ends by a strut affording a fulcrum for an associated brake lever.

An object of our invention is to provide a truss type brake beam having a, compression member comprising narrow end portions of U- section receiving therewithin the ends of a tension member, both of said members extending outwardly of the associated brake heads to afford seats for associated wear pads, said pads being formed and arranged for reception within guide brackets on an associated vehicle frame.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel truss type brake beam and a novel method of assembly therefor, said beam having a compression member with end portions each comprising spaced top and bottom walls and a rear wall with a slot therethrough, said end portions receiving therewithin the ends of atension member, said ends being welded to the edges of the associated slots.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a brake beam as above described in which the ends of the tension member project outwardly from the ends of the compression member to afiord seats for associated wear pads, said pads being designed to fit within guide brackets on an associated vehicle frame.

In the drawings Figure l is a top plan view of our novel brake beam.

' Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the beam shown in Figures 1 and 2 in the vertical plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1, the brake head and wear pad being omitted, and Figure 4 is a further sectional view in the vertical plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of one end of the novel compression member utilized in the beam shown in Figure 1, and Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are alternate sectional views in the plane indicated by the line A-A of Figure 6.

Figure 7 is a plan view showing the detail of one end of the novel tension member utilized in my arrangement, and Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views in the planes indicated respectively by the lines 88 and 99 of Figure 7.

Figures 10 to 16 inclusive show a modification of our novel brake beam, Figures 10 and 11 being respectively a fragmentary plan view and a fragmentary front elevation thereof, Figure 12 being a sectional view in the plane indicated by the line I2-l2 of Figure 10, the brake head and wear pad being removed, Figure 13 being a side elevation of the structure shown in Figures 10 and 11, Figure 14 being a rear elevation of one end of the compression member shown in Figures 10, 11, and 13, and Figures 15, 16, and 17 being respectively a plan view of the tension member shown in Figures 10 to 12 and sectional views other views.

Describing our invention in detail and referring first to the modification shown in Figures 1 to 9 inc1usive, our novel brakebeam 2 comprises a compression member 4 of U-section and having top and bottom webs 6 and 8, and a rear web it). The tension member l2 comprises a round bar, the upset ends M, It of which are secured to said compression member as hereinafter more fully described.

Connected intermediate the ends of said members is a strut 16 comprising tension member securing means iii of well known form, a yoke 20 receiving therewithin the compression member t, and a slot 22 formed and arranged for the reception of-. an associated brake lever (not shown), said lever being secured within said slot as at 24 by a pin (not shown).

The compression member i has a narrow portion 26 at each end thereof with a slot 28 through the rear wall In thereof, and each end It of the tension member is received within the top and bottom webs 6 and 8 of the associated narrow portion of the compression member and is welded to the rear wall ll] thereof through the slot 28 as best seen in Figure 3. Both the tension and compression members are further narrowed as at 32 and 33 respectively to afford a seat for the U-shaped wear pad 34, said pad being secured to said members as at 36 and being formed and arranged for reception within a guide bracket on the associated truck frame (not shown).

Brake heads 38, 38 are secured to each end of the beam 2 as hereinafter more fully described,

' and each of said heads comprises spaced toe lugs 40, '40 at each end thereof Joined by the bridge 42 and said head-also comprises the intermediate lugs 44, 44 slotted as at,46, 46 (Figure said lugs being adapted for securement. thereto in the usual manner of an associated brake shoe (not shown). Said head also comprises a slot sociated bracket on a vehicle frame (not shown).

Each brake head 04 comprises the-spaced toe lugs 66, 66 at each end thereofand Joined by the bridge 98 and said head also comprises the. intermediate lugs I06, I00 slotted as at I02. I02

. end portion and the associated end 14 of the ten- 6A to 6D inclusive, each of these figures being an alternate view in the plane indicated by the line A-A of Figure 6. In. the modification shown in Figures 1 to 6, the compression member is of channel section as shown in Flgure 6A.

In assembling my novel beam, it will be understood that the compression member 4 is secured to the strut I6 by means of the yoke before the formation of the end portions 26, 26, said end portions being formed in any convenient manner. Thereafter, the tension member I2 is connected to said strut at I8 in the usual manner and each end I4 of the tension member is received between the webs 6 and 8 of the associated end portion 26 and abuts the web I0 thereof, and thereafter the end I4 is welded to the web I0 through the slot 28. .After the welding of the tension and compression members, the brake heads 88, 38 are positioned with the slots 48, 48 receiving therewithin the end portions 26, 26 of the compression member and the end portions I4, I4 of the tension member secured to the portions 26, 26 as heretofore described. The brake heads 38, 38 are then secured by riveting as at 50, 50. The wear pads 84, 34 may be fitted over the portions 83, 38 of the compression member and secured as at 86, 36 either before or after the assembling of the brake heads.

Figures 10 to 17 inclusive show another modification of our invention. The: brake beam generally designated 60 comprises a compression and 66 of the adjacent end portion 69 and secured thereto as hereinafter more fully described.

A strut I6 is connected intermediate the ends of said members and comprises a tension member opening 18, a yoke 80 receiving therewithin the compression member in usual manner, and a slot 82 formed and arranged for the reception ofan associated brake lever, said lever being secured therewithin as at 84. l

It may be noted that each end portion 14 of the tension member is wider than in the previous modification and is ,welded as at 86 to the rear wall 68 of the associated end portion 69 through the slot I0 in said rear wall 68. It may also be noted as best seen in Figure 11 that the compression member 62 is terminated short of each end of the tension member which projects outwardly of the associated brake head to afford a seat as at 88 for a U-shaped wear pad 90, said pad being secured thereto as at 92, 92 and being formed and arranged for reception within an assion member being secured within said slot I04 by the rivets I06, I00.

It will be understood that the modification shown in Figures 10 to 17 may comprise a compression member having intermediate the ends thereof any of the sections shown in Figures 8A to 6D inclusive.

Figures 18 to 20 inclusive show still another modification of our invention in which the brake beam generally designated IIO comprises a compression member II2 having spaced top and bottom webs H4 and H6 Joined by the rear vertical web II8, said member being narrowed as at I20 at each end'thereof and slotted as at I22 (Figure 18) as in the. previous modifications and for a similar purpose. The tension member I24 comprises a round bar with an upset portion I26 at each end thereof. A strut I28 is connected between said members and comprises a Jaw I00 receiving the tension member I24 and a yoke I82 within which may be received the compression member H2 in usual manner, and said strut also comprises a slot I34 formed and arranged for the reception of an associated brake lever, said lever being secured therewithin as at I36.

Each end portion I26 is received within the associated end portion I20 of the compression member I I2 and is welded as at I38 to the slot I22 in the rear web II8 of thecompression member II2 as may best be seen iii-Figure 18, and each narrow end portion I 20 of the compression member is received within a slot I40 on the associated brake head I42 and is secured thereto as at I44. Each brake head I42 comprises at each end thereof the spaced toe lugs I46, I46 joined by the bridge I48, and said head also comprises the intermediate lugs I50, I50, said lugs being slotted as at I52, I52 in usual manner. Each brake head I42 also comprises an aperture I54 formed and arranged for the reception of an associated brake hanger (not shown).

- It will be understood that as in the previous modifications, the lugs I46, I46 and I50, I50 afford securing means for an associated brake shoe in usual manner. It will also be understood that in the modification shown in Figures 18 to 20 inclusive the compression member intermediate the ends thereof may be of any of the sections shown in' Figures 6A to 6D inclusive as in the previous modifications.

In assembling the beams shown in Figures 10 to 17 and Figures 18 to 20 respectively, a procedure is followed similar to that described for the modification shown in Figures 1 to 9.

It is to be understood that we do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. In a brake beam, a compression member comprising relatively narrow end portions of U section, each of said end portions having top and bottom flanges and a rear web with a horizontal slot therein, a tension member having extremities received between said flanges in abutment with the adjacent webs, welding means in said slots securing said tension and compression members, and brake heads flxed on the ends of said beam, said tension member extremities extending outwardly of said head beyond said compression member for connection to associated support means.

2. In a brake beam, a compression member having U-section end portions merging into still narrower extremities, each of said end portions having top and bottom flanges and an intermediate web with a slot therethrough, a tension member having complementary upset ends received within said end portions and welded therebrake heads secured on the ends of said beam inwardly of said restricted extremities, and wear plates fixed on said extremities adjacent said heads but spaced therefrom for cooperation with associated support and guide means.

4. In a brake beam, a compression member comprising end portions of U section with top and bottom flanges and an intermediate web having a horizontal slot, a tension member with ends upset for complementary engagement with the end portions of said compression member and secured therewithin by welding through said slots, and brake heads flxed on the ends of said beam, said tension member ends extending beyond a said brake heads for connection to associated support and guide means. v

tion or the compression member,

the end portions of the compression member to' and bottom flanges and an intermediate web having a horizontal slot, a tension member with ends upset for complementary engagement with the end portions 01' said compression member and secured therewithin by welding through said slots, brake heads flxed on the ends 01 said beam, said tension member ends extending. beyond said heads, and supporting wear means spaced from said heads for cooperation with associated support and guide means.

.7. In a brake beam, a compression member I having at each end thereof a relatively narrow end portion of U-section comprising a still narrower extremity, a tension member having at each end thereof an endportion complementary to and received within the'associated end portion bf the compression member, means securing the end portions 01 the compression member to the end portions of the tension member, brakeheads secured to the associated end portions, and ,a

wear pad embracing each of said extremities and secured thereto.

8. In a brake beam, a compression member .having at each end thereof a relatively narrow end portion of U-section comprising a still narrower extremity, a tension member having at each end thereof an 'end portion complementary to and received within the associated end pormeans securing the end portions of the tension member, brake heads secured to the associated end portions,

and a wear pad embracing each of said extremities and secured, thereto, the means securing each wear pad being independent of the means securing the adjacent brake head to said beam.

RAY G. AURIEN. LQREN L- WHITNEY. 

